This all-electric SUV will sit on BMW’s new Neue Klasse platform.
BMW’s roll out of its advanced Neue Klass platform will kick off from 2025 and we can expect it to underpin a wide range of all-electric cars. The roll-out will start with an iX3-sized SUV, which has now been spied.
The Vision Neue Klasse sedan concept BMW brought to the Munich Motor Show back in September gave you a good look at the firm’s upcoming design language and technology focus and while the SUV in spotted competes in another segment, there will be some similarities to the compact sedan concept.
Like on the Vision Neue Klasse, the upper grille and headlights flow together in one section – not too dissimilar to Vauxhall’s new Vizor design language – although BMW will probably point out the influence from its own ‘Neue Klasse’ 2000 sedan from the mid-1960s. The centre section of the grille has two sections of camouflage suggesting a smaller iteration of BMW’s iconic kidney grille than currently used on the BMW XM, X7 and 7 Series.
The profile of the new car isn’t too far removed from the firm’s current range of SUVs. The windscreen looks fairly rakish for an SUV to help promote aerodynamics and BMW has purposefully hidden the rear pillar so we’ll have to wait and see if the traditional Hofmeister kink is retained.
The rear touts bulbous haunches to help give the car visual width. Unlike the XM SUV, which has a rear windscreen that flows smoothly into the bodywork, the Neue Klasse SUV has a roof spoiler at the back that wraps around the rear window. The tail lights are still covered, but compared to the early test car we should expect a thinner design than the outgoing iX3’s.
The Neue Klasse SUV will also feature BMW’s Panoramic Vision full-width windscreen projection system. BMW’s UI development boss, Oliver Pitrat, previously told our partner Auto Express that the brand had nearly productionised the technology and that scaling it for different widths, curvatures and rake angles of screen – i.e. more upright for an SUV – is not a problem.
The interior of the Neue Klasse SUV should utilise a bespoke iteration of the Vision Neue Klasse concept’s dash. That means a pretty minimalist approach with a wide panoramic screen at the top of the dash and a larger touchscreen in the centre to operate the car’s functions.
M division head of development Dirk Hacker previously told Auto Express that his team were well under way with development of a high-performance all-electric M car, which is likely to arrive in 2027.
“When we’re thinking about an M high-performance electric car, you want to see the M characteristic,” he said. “We know the feeling from the M2 and M3 CS, but also pure electric. We have also launched some ideas for that with four electric motors and a lot of functions,” he added, referencing BMW’s quad-motor i4 M50 prototype.
“We are working on a central intelligence made by BMW and not made by the suppliers. We are working on electric motors, high voltage batteries and it’s very important also on how we can emotionalise such a car.”